


all you have is your fire

by delimeful



Series: October 2019 Prompts [10]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Borrowers Fusion, Family, Fear, G/T, Gen, HiddenDreamer67 October Prompts, Protective Deceit Sanders, Self-Sacrifice, Sympathetic Deceit Sanders, Trapped
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-24
Updated: 2019-11-24
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:01:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21542656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/delimeful/pseuds/delimeful
Summary: Deceit and his two nephews lived in the walls, sticking to the borrower rules and scavenging what they could from the humans with them none the wiser.Or at least, that's what Dee believed up until they stumbled- literally- into a trap.-Written for Day 19: Trap
Relationships: Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders & Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders & Deceit Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders & Deceit Sanders
Series: October 2019 Prompts [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1533644
Comments: 9
Kudos: 179





	all you have is your fire

The trap was so cleverly disguised that Dee didn’t recognize it for what it was until the twins were already racing towards it, each trying to beat the other the way they always did when they were allowed out borrowing with him. The human who lived here frequently had opened snacks in his backpack, and the younger borrowers had quickly learned it was the best place to check for tastier loot. 

It was only when he caught the glint of metal tucked underneath a flap of the bag’s fabric that he realized, and by the time he called out, it was too late. The twins froze, turning to face him with surprised looks, and he held a hand out. 

“Don’t move an inch.” He instructed, and even Remus, who was wily at the best of times, understood the urgency in his voice. Roman looked up, and his sharp inhale made Remus follow suit. 

“Uncle Dee, it’s a-”

“I know.” He cut Roman off, voice self-assured and without a hint of panic. “It hasn’t been set off yet. Just stay still, and I’ll get you out of there no problem.”

He quickly strode towards the opening to the cage, taking in the situation. It was a large, wire box, with a slightly raised platform in the center next to the cookies that were now easily identifiable as bait. The floor of the cage was mostly covered in a fabric that matched the bag, so it was no wonder the twins hadn’t realized at first. 

Ignoring the concerned noises from his nephews, he stepped into the cage, carefully stepping over to them. His heart sank. Roman was safe, a few steps away from the center, but Remus- Remus was standing solidly on top of the pressure plate, body tense with the strain of staying still. Dee took a deep breath. 

“Okay. Roman, get out of the cage.”

Roman glanced between Remus and Dee, face pale, and Dee cut off the forming argument before it could start, grabbing him by the shoulders. 

“I need you safe so I can work without any distractions. I will get your brother out of here, alright?” He held firm as Roman stared at him hard, and then nodded. “Good.”

He waited until the younger twin had cleared the exit of the trap before turning to Remus, who looked almost sickly with the sweat on his clammy face. He stepped forwards, careful, and crouched to look at the plate. 

“It’s gonna snap on me as soon as I move, isn’t it?” Remus asked, hands balled into tiny fists. “Is it one of the ones that breaks your neck or chops your head off? Or are the humans gonna get me instead?” His voice wavered slightly. 

Dee knew how these traps worked. The moment the pressure was moved off the plate or even shifted slightly, the trap door would be triggered and it would take human-level strength to open it again. 

“You’re not going to die today, Remus.” Dee said, carefully gauging the distance between them and the trap door. Much too far to run, no matter how quick Borrowers were. 

Remus sniffled petulantly. “You don’t know that. I could die a hundred billion ways today. Smushed, boiled, stabbed, breaking all my bones, eaten by a rat-” 

“ _Well_ , I know that you aren’t going to die stuck in a trap like this one, because I’m your uncle and I know everything.” Dee grabbed one of Remus’s arms and the back of his shirt, taking a couple of deep breaths. “You’re going to get out of here just fine.” 

Remus looked up at him, eyes narrowing. “Both of us, right? You’re gonna save me like a knight in one of Roman’s dumb stories and we’re going to go die horribly together some other day, right?” 

Dee cursed the fact that the more perceptive twin had been the one to reach the pressure plate first. He gave Remus a tired smile. “That’s absolutely right.” 

The kid’s eyes widened, his mouth opening, but before he could say anything to make this harder than it already was, Dee was hauling him up and tossing him with all the upper body strength he’d accumulated over his many years of borrowing. 

Remus collided with his brother in a tangle of limbs and yelps, and Dee sighed in relief even as the door snapped shut, leaving him trapped. He ambled over to the front of the cage anyhow, trying to make sure the door hadn’t caught any stray limbs. 

Roman got up first, rushing to press himself against the cage door. 

“Uncle Dee, you’re stuck! Oh no, we have to get you out of there-!” 

“Easy, Roman.” Dee reached through the criss crossed bars of the trap, and a small pair of hands immediately latched onto his arm like a lifeline. “We can still try to get the trap open.” 

Roman nodded, rubbing at his eyes, but was cut off by the muttering from his brother, who was still on his hands and knees, not looking at either of them.

“Liar.” Remus looked up at him, green eyes furious. “Liar! You lied!” 

Dee sighed. “A ‘thank you for saving my butt, Uncle Dee’ would suffice as well, you know.” 

Roman pulled at his brother’s arms, ignoring Remus’s angry shoves. “Come on, Rem, we don’t have time to be mad! We have to help him before-!” 

Loud as a gunshot, the sound of footsteps approaching the front door cut Roman off. Dee reached out, letting himself be selfish one more time as his nephews crowded against him for a mockery of a hug, and then pushed them back harshly. He shoved his bag through the grated door, and before they could protest, held up his hook to show he was keeping it. 

“Take that and get out of here. I’m not going to lay down and die, so you two better not either. Don’t fight, or I’ll ground you both when I get back.” _Look after each other._

The lock turned with a loud clunk, and the twins shared a look before bolting for the hole in the wall they’d emerged from. Even with Roman so obviously crying, they made it back in record time, and Dee made sure not to drop his relaxed slouch until the wallpaper closed up behind them. 

Just in time for the human to enter the room. 

Dee retreated to the back of the cage immediately, despite knowing it would only delay the inevitable, and shoved the hook into the back of his shirt. Uncomfortable? Yes. Worth a potential getaway? Also yes.

Unfortunately, the human seemed intent on checking the trap first thing, and so he only got a moment of reprieve before huge hands were gripping the wires and pulling the cage out of the bag, into the open. There was immediately a gasp. 

“You’re not a mouse!” The human said. He adjusted his glasses, getting even closer to the floor to peer into the cage properly. Dee met the giant brown eyes with a glare. “Oh my goodness, you’re a tiny person!” 

_Astute,_ Dee thought bitingly, but remained quiet even as the human sat back up and the door was pried open. He attempted to duck around the hand that reached in, hoping to squeeze past to the exit, but humans were a Borrower’s worst nightmare for a reason. They were fast and precise, and in no time, he was enclosed in a warm fist and lifted to eye level. 

“Are you the reason my snacks keep disappearing?” The human asked, opening his hand slightly so that Dee was flat on his back in his palm and he could poke at him. He shied away from the touch, and to his surprise, the human withdrew. “Sorry, little guy. Gosh, you must be innovative to survive at that size… Are you all alone? Do you have a little family that helps you?” 

Panic hit Dee so hard it was nearly blinding. “No!” 

He slapped a hand over his own mouth, but the damage was done. The fingers around him twitched, and the human’s eyes were huge. “You do talk!” His one-word response seemed to register a moment later, and the human’s expression went all sad and pitying. “You’re all alone?” 

Dee struggled for a moment, and then gave in, haunted by the image of his nephews getting caught and him unable to stop it. “Yes. There’s no one else. I’m the only one.” 

The human seemed on the brink of tears now. “That must be so hard…” He glanced down at the trap, where the cookies he’d left as bait were crumbled at the bottom, and seemed to make up his mind. 

“Well don’t you worry, little guy!” He stood, the rush of movement making Dee a little dizzy. “I’ll make you a warm, home-cooked meal, and I’ll be your friend! Then you won’t have to scavenge for crumbs by yourself anymore!” 

Dee bristled internally, but he couldn’t let himself give into the anger he felt at being treated so demeaningly. Demanding this giant let him go wouldn’t get him anywhere but stuck back in a cage. He just needed to wait for the human to let his guard down, and then he’d get back to the kids and they’d move far away.

“That sounds fantastic!” He enthused, voice sickly-sweet. The human beamed at him, making his way into the kitchen, and Dee began to plot potential routes to the nearest wall entrances. 

He just hoped the kids would do alright until he could get free. 


End file.
